Rory McIlroy capped a career-defining yr by closing out a seventh Race to Dubai title, the fourth successive season he has topped the DP World Tour’s Order of Benefit.
A memorable 2025 noticed McIlroy full the profession Grand Slam at The Masters, declare a dramatic play-off win on the Amgen Irish Open and star for Staff Europe of their historic Ryder Cup victory in New York.
McIlroy entered the season-ending DP World Tour Championship with a 767-point benefit over Marco Penge and a 1,720 cushion over Tyrrell Hatton within the Race to Dubai rankings, with the English pair the one two gamers who might nonetheless overtake him.
Hatton wanted a win and Penge not less than a three-way tie for second for both to grab Race to Dubai victory, with each falling brief and permitting McIlroy to remain in prime spot along with his runner-up end to retain the Harry Vardon Trophy.
McIlroy’s seventh Order of Benefit is yet one more than Seve Ballesteros managed throughout his profession and leaves him second within the all-time standings, inside one in every of Colin Montgomerie’s file.
“To equal him [Ballesteros] last year was cool but to surpass him this year, yeah, I didn’t get this far in my dreams,” McIlroy stated. “He means a lot to this tour and to the European Ryder Cup Staff. We rally a lot round his spirit and his quotes and every little thing he meant for European golf.
“It [Montgomerie’s record] seems within touching distance now. I’d love to be the winningest European in terms of Order of Merits and season-long races. I’ve probably got a few more good years left in me, and hopefully I can catch him and surpass him.”
McIlroy additionally topped the DP World Tour standings in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2023 and 2024 earlier than his 2025 success. We take a more in-depth have a look at how he closed out every of these Race to Dubai victories…
2012
McIlroy’s 2012 noticed him attain world No 1 for the primary time, declare main victory – by a file margin – on the PGA Championship and prime the Order of Benefit on each the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
Runner-up finishes on the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, BMW Masters, together with top-three finishes on the WGC-Cadillac Championship and the Barclays Singapore Open, ensured he had the Order of Benefit wrapped up earlier than his two-shot win on the DP World Tour Championship.
Rory McIlroy had already wrapped up the Race to Dubai earlier than his 2012 DP World Tour Championship win
2014
A memorable summer season noticed McIlroy declare back-to-back main titles at The Open – the third leg of the profession Grand Slam – and the PGA Championship, sandwiched between a victory a two-shot victory on the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
McIlroy additionally held off Shane Lowry to win the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth earlier within the marketing campaign, plus completed tied-second on the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Alfred Dunhill Hyperlinks Championship and the DP World Tour Championship.
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Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley appears to be like again at Rory McIlroy’s win at Valhalla within the 2014 PGA Championship, his fourth main title in as a few years
2015
McIlroy received thrice on the DP World Tour and 5 instances worldwide, regardless of an ankle damage seeing him miss his title defence at The Open and two months of the marketing campaign.
Victories on the Omega Dubai Desert Basic, WGC-Cadillac Match Play have been adopted by a one-shot win over Andy Sullivan on the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, with McIlroy additionally ending runner-up in Abu Dhabi and fourth at The Masters throughout one other eventful season.
Rory McIlroy claimed the second of two DP World Tour Championship victories in 2015
2022
McIlroy claimed his first Harry Vardon Trophy in seven years with a tied-fourth end on the DP World Tour Championship, having completed no worse than twelfth in any occasion through the DP World Tour season.
A runner-up end to Scottie Scheffler at The Masters and a third-place end in The Open – the place he led with 9 holes to play – have been a part of one other major-less marketing campaign, though his consistency included tied-second on the BMW PGA Championship and third on the Slync.io Dubai Desert Basic.
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The very best of the motion from an exciting closing spherical of The a hundred and fiftieth Open, the place Cameron Smith lifted the Claret Jug and Rory McIlroy fell brief
2023
McIlroy secured the Hero Dubai Desert Basic in his opening occasion of the season and received the Genesis Scottish Open forward of Robert MacIntyre in July, with a runner-up end on the US Open one in every of three top-sevens in majors through the marketing campaign.
He reached the semi-finals of the WGC-Dell Applied sciences Match Play, took tied-seventh on the PGA Championship and earned a share of sixth at The Open, plus added one other top-seven on the BMW PGA Championship to have the Order of Benefit wrapped up earlier than the season finale in Dubai.
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Highlights from a dramatic closing spherical of the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open, the place Rory McIlroy closed out victory
2024
McIlroy efficiently defended his Hero Dubai Desert Basic title and received the season-ending DP World Tour Championship throughout one other constant season, the place he recorded seven top-five finishes along with his two wins.
He ended second to Tommy Fleetwood on the Dubai Invitational and suffered final-hole heartbreak to Bryson DeChambeau on the US Open with McIlroy additionally squandering a late lead within the Irish Open and shedding out in a play-off on the BMW PGA Championship.
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Rory McIlroy got here near profitable the Dubai Invitational, the US Open, the Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship, however he finally fell simply brief in all 4 tournaments
2025
McIlroy opened with a top-four end on the Hero Dubai Desert Basic and ended his 11-year await a fifth main title by beating Justin Rose in a play-off at The Masters, then claimed tied-second on the Genesis Scottish Open the week earlier than incomes a share seventh – on dwelling soil – at The Open.
He defeated Joakim Lagergren in a play-off to win the Amgen Irish Open at The Okay Membership and added a tied-third end on the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, earlier than a play-off loss to Matt Fitzpatrick denied him a profitable title defence on the DP World Tour Championship.
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Iona Stephen and Paul McGinley have a look at how Rory McIlroy claimed a dramatic Amgen Irish Open victory on the Okay Membership
What’s subsequent for McIlroy?
McIlroy will make three DP World Tour appearances within the coming months, enjoying the Australian Open (December 4-7), Dubai Invitational (January 15-18) and the Hero Dubai Desert Basic (January 22-25).
He can have the chance to turn into the primary back-to-back winner of The Masters this April, with McIlroy now one main away from matching Sir Nick Faldo’s file of six majors, whereas he’ll look to push for extra PGA Tour and DP World Tour success.
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Rory McIlroy reacts to his loss to Matt Fitzpatrick on the DP World Tour Championship and surpassing Seve Ballesteros’ variety of Order of Benefit wins
What’s subsequent?
The brand new DP World Tour season begins with the BMW Australian PGA Championship from November 27-30, held at Royal Queensland GC in Brisbane and stay on Sky Sports activities.
McIlroy returns to motion the next week within the Crown Australian Open at Royal Melbourne GC, the identical week the Nedbank Golf Problem takes place at Gary Participant CC in South Africa, with each occasions additionally stay on Sky Sports activities Golf. Stream the DP World Tour and extra with no contract.
